Can boxwoods be planted along back of house in beach stone. Gets afternoon sun
Planting boxwoods along the back of the house sounds like a good idea as these bushes are quite adaptable to most light locations. But they are extremely shallow-rooted plants and should not be planted too deep. This could be a problem with the beach stones. Could you remove enough of the beach stones to replace with a well draining soil? Boxwood prefers a neutral soil pH (6.2-7.5) and requires adequate drainage with ample amounts of organic matter.
Also, choosing the correct variety for our climate is important. Cultivars recommended in previous Master Gardener answers about boxwood include:
- Buxus ‘Green Mountain’ Height 1.5m, spread 1m. Upright with dark green foliage
- B. ’Green Velvet’ Height 1m, spread 1m. Retains rich green color in winter
- B. microphylla koreana ‘Winter Beauty’ Height 1.25m, spread 1m. Rich blue green foliage all year
- As well as our native inkberry (Ilex glabra) with small broad, evergreen leaves and dense branching
I am including the following link to an answer to a similar question which includes more in-depth information including the issue of boxwood blight, a fungal disease, and how to avoid it.
https://www.torontomastergardeners.ca/askagardener/boxwood/